[ron178]

ron178 becomes ron115 as a Verna CVT comes home

Today, my parents took delivery of a Verna SX(O) MPI IVT in Starry Night.

Background: Dad's Very Versatile Vehicle (2018 Octavia 1.8 TSI) has been one of the most well-rounded cars he's had. But all good things must come to an end, especially if the good thing has a Škoda badge on it. In a span of a few months, it had a coolant tank exploding on the highway, a fuel leak in the engine bay, an EPC error (and limp mode), and to top it off it got rear-ended by a bus, severely enough to dislodge its bumper, crack a tail lamp and damage the boot skin.

Through all of it, the Škoda workshop proved extremely incompetent, and the car very expensive to fix when things go wrong (which they did recently...a lot). There is also a DQ200 probably waiting to go bust (the car has clocked 150000 km), and this is a lot to keep spending on what has essentially become an A-to-B car that stopped doing highway runs when the Hycross and a (pre-owned) E-Class arrived.

Why did we still want another car? The E-Class and Hycross are both too large to do what the Octavia used to, and while the Polo still faithfully does its duties as the office car (and mine on weekends), it's basic, slow, and most importantly, my mum hasn't driven a manual since 2012.

As a lot of people have said, the hardest thing about owning an Octavia is finding a car that can replace it. In our case, thankfully, half the car's duties have already been taken over by other acquisitions. So while we want practicality, comfort and tech, we don't need the outright performance, and we certainly don't want the consistently single-digit fuel economy, the unreliability and the terrible service.

Alternatives:
City: The default option — we had the first three generations and they never failed us. This car seemed like instead of giving the engineers and designers a budget to begin with, the accountants told them to be as free as they wanted, stopped them mid-way and said "we'll take it from here". There are genuinely nice touches like the dashboard materials, the classy instrument cluster, the extremely well-contoured seats, and the very comfortable suspension (it rode almost as well as th Octavia which has rear McPhersons). On the other hand, there were bits that felt nasty. The UI of the entertainment system spoiled the mood of the cabin, the wireless charger implementation was shockingly bad, and a cigarette lighter instead of a USB port in 2025?! The cameras (rear view and LaneWatch) were really bad. And the noise filtered through into the cabin significantly — I found it nice-sounding, but my dad certainly didn't.

Elevate: The Elevate had significantly more rubber-banding and I found myself having to rev it constantly, to get off the line or over a speed breaker. With the already bad insulation, the sound that was somewhat tolerable in the City became downright annoying, to the point of it being a deal-breaker for my dad. My dad's friend genuinely thought there was something wrong with the car. Also, the reported fuel economy was a downer. It was otherwise comfortable (although stiffer than the City) and the interior up front was a little nicer.

Others: We didn't look at the Virtus because, although our Polo has been reliable, my aunt's experience with her Vento TSI suggests their workshop can be even more incompetent than Škoda's when something goes wrong. The Hyryder and Grand Vitara would be too similar to the Hycross. No one really wanted a Creta because it is too common.

Enter the Verna. I checked out a customer car at another dealer's stockyard (see #1481) and it looked much nicer in person than it does in photos. Right off the bat, the dealer experience was just so much better. They had someone just to cater to walk-ins, and the fact that they were so eager to take a 20-year-old seriously spoke volumes (the Honda dealer had a surprisingly take-it-or-leave-it attitude even with my dad there). Sadly, they sent my dad a turbo car to test drive, which we decided is overkill for the purpose. Turbo + DCT for A-to-B-use could be a recipe for disaster in the long term.

Finally, I could test-drive the CVT a couple of weeks ago. It didn't move off the line as instantly as the City did (I wonder if it has a clutch or a torque converter) but it was more than adequate to build speed briskly, and it felt like a breeze just because of how silent the cabin was. Heck, with my kind of driving, for the most part you couldn't tell there was an engine underneath (let alone a CVT). Later, my dad also took it for a short spin and I checked out the rear seat, which was roomy, although the seat was a tad lower than the City's and the middle head restraint was missing. Overall, this felt very well suited to the position. The boot was also quite large, although I don't understand why Hyundai would reserve the 60-40 folding seats for LHD exports, when the Virtus and Slavia (which the Verna otherwise appears to have been heavily benchmarked against) offer them here.

We settled on the Verna last week, and my mum wanted dark paint for a change. Starry Night was her second preference after Titan Grey, but it was one of two options the dealer had in stock (the other being white), so that's what dad booked. It came to some 18.63L on the road.

A week later:


Sumptuous interiors are a deal-maker:


What's hot:
+ looks draw attention, and were appreciated by everyone in the family
+ modern, uncluttered, silent, comfy cabin that looks and feels like one from a segment above
+ 5-star (2023) Global NCAP rating, six airbags, ESC, three-point seatbelts in all seats, blind spot detection, AEB, lane support, etc.
+ a long list of comfort and convenience features like ventilated seats, electric fore-aft/recline adjustment, front parking sensors, AA/AC, etc.
+ some of the usual Hyundai party tricks like ambient lighting, Sounds of Nature, Bose branding, etc.
+ pleasant drive experience, with more than adequate performance for A-B driving, smooth CVT and no annoying sounds from the engine across the rev band

What's not:
- some missing equipment by Hyundai standards (Blind View Monitor, 360º camera)
- would have happily paid extra for the small things that make it more complete (screens sitting flush with the housing, passenger seat height adjustment, electric driver seat height adjustment, digital dials (or at least proper analogue ones), 60-40 split folding seats* etc.).
- cost-cutting in the rear seat is evident, eg. no middle head restraint*, no rear airflow controller (unlike its predecessor), no rear ambient lighting, and the unintelligent so-called "rear seatbelt reminders" actually only beep if you undo an already buckled belt
- Starry Night paint has prominent orange peel effect. Couldn't capture it on camera, but particularly evident on soft parts.
- white interiors are a little too white, and oddly so even in high touch-traffic areas like the housing for the window switches, which could and should have been black like in its predecessor. The passenger-side panel on ours was already scuffed at the dealer (and I can't blame them)
- not as responsive off the line or in-gear as the City

*Hyundai export LHD Accents to Latin America with these, as well as a lovely brown interior that would just make so much more sense for India

[Rustum Bawaji]

Has anyone here have any experience with the petrol additive Milex ? I saw a youtube video from TopGear India comparing it in the Exter with and without it on a journey across India and it allegedly added 5 % mileage over the journey . I have been using it for a week and just did a drive from Bangalore to Nagpur and then back , I observed an increase from 15 kmpl to 16kmpl on long Highway runs with almost no difference in the city. Any other opinions and experiences would be very helpful.

[KryptonMonkey]

Originally Posted by ron178

.. took delivery of a Verna SX(O) MPI IVT in Starry Night.

Finally, I could test-drive the CVT a couple of weeks ago. It didn't move off the line as instantly as the City did (I wonder if it has a clutch or a torque converter) but it was more than adequate to build speed briskly, and it felt like a breeze just because of how silent the cabin was. Heck, with my kind of driving, for the most part you couldn't tell there was an engine underneath (let alone a CVT).

Sumptuous interiors are a deal-maker:

+ pleasant drive experience, with more than adequate performance for A-B driving, smooth CVT and no annoying sounds from the engine across the rev band

- not as responsive off the line or in-gear as the City

Welcome to the club!

The Verna IVT is a sumptuous package indeed.

The City CVT is more eager to respond than the Verna IVT for sure, but the Verna's refinement and cabin insulation make you forget that you're driving a CVT, and hence, you tend to push it more.

As I had mentioned in my review:

Originally Posted by KryptonMonkey

CVT vs IVT: While the City CVT seems to have the more eager driving experience in terms of engine response and handling, the Verna IVT gives a significantly better experience as an overall package due to its better NVH levels and luxurious interiors. Quite frankly, the Verna IVT makes a very strong case against the City CVT now and you’ll need very strong reasons to reject the Verna IVT over the City CVT given the depth of features on offer and the gorgeous interiors at a similar price.

Cheers again on the purchase and wish you miles of happiness with the car.

[bblost]

There was an OTA update a couple of days back.

Since then a weird issue has started. Its inconsistent but very irritating when it happens.

Unlock car, sit in side, press brake pedal and depress the ignition on.
Car will not start.

Shift transmission to R and back to P.
Car will start.

Not sure what might be the cause.

Has anyone else experienced this random behaviour.
It has happened 4-5 times in the past week.

[bharanidharang]

Originally Posted by bblost

There was an OTA update a couple of days back.

Since then a weird issue has started. Its inconsistent but very irritating when it happens.

Unlock car, sit in side, press brake pedal and depress the ignition on.
Car will not start.

Shift transmission to R and back to P.
Car will start.

Not sure what might be the cause.

Has anyone else experienced this random behaviour.
It has happened 4-5 times in the past week.

Bblost - Can you mention the update number ? I did my 2nd free service last week and not sure if they did this OTA update. I will check the update if it's the same as yours.

Not having the issue you mentioned when I used in the weekend.

[bblost]

According to BlueLink, I got a

Infotainment system wireless update on 12.04.2025.

I am not sure if this and the issue are related in any way.

[ron178]

Originally Posted by ron178

ron178 becomes ron115 as a Verna CVT comes home

More short-term observations from a 30-minute backseat ride (city + highway + traffic stops), as I won't be seeing the car for a while now:

- MID-reported average FE converged to around 17.5 and 18.5 km/l. Auto start-stop was on, and I'm not sure if it was in Normal or Eco. Either way, I don't think the Octavia has ever seen that number in its lifetime (double digits were an outlier).


- Some aimless poking-around in the rear seat revealed some things that remind you it's not a D-segment car:

• This is not the fabric sagging or having become loose, but shaped to accomodate a hard tunnel-like structure (behind both the felt and the leatherette). Possibly ducting for the seat ventilation. Looks ugly, and is one of those things you can't un-see after you've seen once.
  
  

• This shot of Bose branding and an exposed screw in the same frame will be a source of gleeful irony for quality snobs...
  
  

- Not a fan of the stock rubber mats. The beige inserts are unnecessary, and prominently advertise any muddy footprints (they should have been all black). The rear mats themselves are soft and don't fit snugly in the footwells. For comparison, the Octavia's mats were much more rigid, precisely shaped, and didn't move an inch in 6.5 years.

- The car has a lot of bings and bongs

• The horn on lock/unlock and the comical "children crossing ahead" (at 11 PM!) were the first to be turned off
• The ELK is fairly sensitive and beeps even if the car is barely over a lane marking.
• The FCW did beep once with my dad at the wheel in bumper-to-bumper traffic.
• I did not have any ADAS beeps on two short, careful runs (probably ~45 minutes combined over the last two days).
• Rear seatbelt reminders should have had occupant detection, period. Relying on change of status may be acceptable in an Alto, not a modern, 19-lakh-rupee car. Heck, the 9-lakh-rupee Nexon and the 15-year-old Isuzu V-Cross have it!

- Rear seat ride quality is definitely on the better side of things. No comparison to the Octavia which glid over everything, but miles ahead of even the Hycross.

[TheHelix0202]

Congratulations on the new steed! Great write up. The Verna makes for a lovely value proposition. My choice would be the 1.5 Turbo DCT. It was absolute chef’s kiss. The car felt more special than the VW/Skoda twins.

[cityslicker86]

Congratulations on the new acquisition. I own a Verna SX(O) iVT as well, and I can assure you that you have made a good choice. Just ignore the FE in the city and the lack of City-like acceleration.

The car is butter smooth, quiet, plush and very attractive. Music system is quite good.

Wish you a great experience with the car.

[Xpresstrainfast]

Congratulations on the new car, Ron 178. Correct me if I am mistaken but this is a beater car right?

[fhdowntheline]

@ron 115 (nee 178) congratulations on the new ride and welcome to the Vernian world. This is one of the most under-rated cars and a proper sleeper (especially the 1.5 turbo) that can surprise some of the D-segmenters and outshine its peers in some situations. And that fuel efficiency is one of the key highlights that is again not so much spoken about. I have never failed to get less than 11 kmpl in the worst Pune traffic and out on the highways, its an absolute queen in terms of mileage and performance.

[vignesh207]

Originally Posted by bblost

Car will not start.

Shift transmission to R and back to P.
Car will start..

Did you try pressing the start button twice and see if it works?

I had this weird issue where I had to press the start button twice to start and twice to stop. It was diagnoised to be a faulty Start/Stop button and was replaced under warranty.

[bblost]

Originally Posted by vignesh207

Did you try pressing the start button twice and see if it works?

I had this weird issue where I had to press the start button twice to start and twice to stop. It was diagnoised to be a faulty Start/Stop button and was replaced under warranty.

Yes.

Pressed multiple times.
Next time this happens, I will record a video.

Plan to take the car over to the service center in a day or two.
I have a 2500 kms drive coming up in a few days and can't drive with this worry in my head.

[ron178]

Originally Posted by Xpresstrainfast

Congratulations on the new car, Ron 178. Correct me if I am mistaken but this is a beater car right?

It is too nice to be a beater in the true sense of the word, but indeed the reason I insisted on dad not going for something bigger is indeed that he should not feel the need to replace the Polo when it gets too old to keep. We wound up with the Polo in the first place because the Octavia had too large a footprint to fill the shoes of the C-segmenter it replaced. As I see it, the Verna has the Octavia's space, comfort and features, with the Polo's "small enough" footprint (and hopefully reliability).

Originally Posted by cityslicker86

Congratulations on the new acquisition. I own a Verna SX(O) iVT as well, and I can assure you that you have made a good choice. Just ignore the FE in the city

Originally Posted by TheHelix0202

Congratulations on the new steed! Great write up. The Verna makes for a lovely value proposition. My choice would be the 1.5 Turbo DCT.

Originally Posted by fhdowntheline

@ron 115 (nee 178) congratulations on the new ride and welcome to the Vernian world. This is one of the most under-rated cars and a proper sleeper (especially the 1.5 turbo)

Thanks everyone. @fhdowntheline I am keeping my fingers crossed for MPI to prove as efficient!

[vignesh207]

14500kms done on my SX(O) DCT verna and the AC just decided to give up today when I had to drive in hot sun for 80kms. The ac was in full fan mode but no cooling at all. Arranged a pickup to my ASS on Friday and hopefully it gets fixed under warranty.

This is the third warranty issue on my car. First it was the faulty start-stop button and then the yellowish DRLs and my car has spent 20+ days in the garage in 2025 alone(also some body shop for some bumper replacement). Not a good start to 2025.